The Second Wife – Episode 23

The Second Wife – Episode 23

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

Thursday 29th July 2004
Law Faculty
RSUST

Soki literally danced with joy as she headed for the car park. A first class! With all As in her final year courses, she had a CGPA of 4.93. All the time spent burning the midnight candle finally paid off. She had waited for an hour to pick her law school form from the dean’s office. Some of her course mates were still busy looking at the law school list. Soki had been only interested in her own name and in confirming that she was graduating with her close friends. And they had all graduated.

She couldn’t wait to share the good news with Dienye. She tried calling his number twice, but he didn’t take her call. She didn’t bother leaving a text. She called B.B and told him the good news.

‘That’s great news, Soki. So I owe you all the law reports for 2004.’

That had been his promise to her.

‘Thanks boss,’ she said with a huge smile on her face.

She unlocked the car and sat in the driver’s seat, closing her eyes for a moment in a prayer of thanksgiving. Best student in her primary school with the best common entrance result at the state and federal level; 12 As in Junior WAEC and 9 A1s in WAEC and now a first class degree from her university. Soki was beyond elated. There was so much to give God thanks for.

Her friends, Ebitari and Ibukun soon joined her in the car. She was treating them to a celebratory lunch. The three girls knew there was the possibility that they may end up in different campuses but then they would cross the bridge when they got there.

Dienye wasn’t home when she got back. He was neither at the Home nor at any of his offices. She dropped her law school form on the marble table top and gave Belema a call. He was elated when she told him about her grades. He had also graduated with a first class degree from her school. He told her to expect a special package from him.

She visited her parents and basked in their accolades. Congratulatory calls and messages kept coming but none from her husband. She was still with her parents when Dienye subsequently called her and it was only to inform her that he would be home a bit late and she didn’t have to wait up for him. He didn’t say anything about missing her calls and she didn’t get more than a word in before he ended the call. When she called him back, his impatient response ‘What!’ as though she was bothering him had her immediately saying ‘Never mind’ and ending the call.

She tried to imagine what she had done to upset him but couldn’t come up with one reason.

‘How are things between you and Dienye?’ her mum asked.

‘I guess you could say we’re okay. We have issues every now and then but he still eats my food so I guess it isn’t that serious.’

‘What’s the nature of the problem? Perhaps I can help,’

She ordinarily wouldn’t complain to her mum about her marriage but since she had asked, Soki decided to talk to her a bit about it.

‘I really don’t know, mum but he accuses me of nagging.’

‘Do you?’

‘I can’t help it.’

‘You should stop it.’

‘You haven’t even heard my side of the story.’

‘I’m not taking sides, but nagging has never solved any problem irrespective of the genesis.’

‘He doesn’t make it easy for me, mum.’

Her mother smiled.

‘There’s no marriage without its issues, my dear. It isn’t easy for two persons from different backgrounds to live under the same roof. Even your dad and I had issues in the first year of our marriage. I remember leaving our home a few times but here we are, almost 25 years in marriage. A good wife builds her home. You are married to your friend. You should be able to talk to him. Timing is always important. You need to find out the best time to talk to him. Feed him his favourite food and…’

‘He’ll be suspicious of my action, thinking it’s a ploy to get money out of him.’

‘You’ve already tried that?’

‘Yes.’

She told her mother what had happened between them almost three weeks earlier.

******

Thursday 8th July

Soki drove into the compound from school. A few of her results had been released but the final results would be released in three weeks. She couldn’t wait. She had stopped at the Mile 1 market on her way home to pick up some food stuffs. Her intention was to surprise Dienye with the Rivers native soup as she had been taught by her mother-in-law. She changed out of her clothes into a t-shirt and a pair of shorts before proceeding to the kitchen.

She had promised herself to never nag again but to make her husband feel so special that he would never put her in a position where she had to nag. The law school forms would soon be made available and she would be leaving for the Nigerian Law School later in August. She couldn’t afford for them to part in a bad way. She wanted to be able to concentrate in law school knowing that she had her husband and her home intact.

She had bought enough stockfish, ngolo and isam (perewinkles) and had no doubt that he would love the soup. She was also trying to make peace. The previous day, they had quarrelled over something seemingly insignificant. She had served him dinner and for the sake of it had lifted his fork and taken a bite of food from his plate. He had immediately reached for her own fork, abandoning his and she had felt slighted. She figured she could have simply let it go but she had found that she couldn’t.

‘What’s wrong with you?’ she’d asked.

‘What’s wrong with me?’ he’d returned, his expression genuinely one of surprise.

‘I only used your fork, I didn’t spit on it.’

‘I never said you did,’ he responded, digging into his food. ‘And by the way, this is really delicious.’

She paused, glaring at him as he ate as though she wasn’t even there.

‘You just embarrassed me by your action,’ she finally said.

He took a last bite and looked up at her.

‘I don’t understand what you’re talking about. There’s no one here besides the two of us. How exactly did I embarrass you?’

‘By acting like I had a dental infection.’

He almost choked and had to gulp down a full glass of water.

‘If I thought you had a dental infection, babe, I wouldn’t have kissed you earlier.’

‘Then why did you switch cutleries?’

He took a deep breath and exhaled. ‘Why are you always spoiling for a fight?’

‘I don’t. You hurt my feelings. All you had to do was apologise.’

‘I don’t owe you an apology. I just don’t share cutlery.’

‘That’s not what I heard.’

‘And pray tell what did you hear?’ he said, pushing the plate of unfinished food forward.

‘Besides, Priye used your spoon two days ago.’

‘Priye is my sister,’ he reminded her.

‘And what am I?’

‘My wife. That’s different.’

‘How different? Is it an offence for a woman to share cutlery with her husband.’

‘No, but I don’t share. You should respect that.’

She looked away, mumbling under her breath. ‘And I bet you would have thought differently if I had been Nengi.’

He heard her. ‘I was just waiting for you to go there. Your obsession with her beats my imagination. Soon you’ll be wanting to share tooth brushes, underclothes etc.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

‘Am I? That is exactly where this is headed.’

‘All you had to do was apologise.’

‘When do you get off trying to get me to apologise for everything? Were you taught that men don’t apologise and you wanted to make me adopt the habit of apologising for every single thing? Well, I don’t owe you an apology and so I am not going to apologise for whatever it is you feel I have done because I seriously doubt if it is just about me not sharing cutlery.’

‘Then save it.’

‘If that was intended to make me feel guilty then you’re wasting your time.’

‘I am the one who has to apologise all the time…’she said petulantly.

‘You can’t make me feel guilty for something that isn’t wrong.’

‘I-’

‘Don’t nag at me. It pisses me off. ‘

‘I don’t nag. We only argue…’

‘Well save your argument for one of your moot courts or until you’re called to the bar and are being paid to do so.’

He walked away before she could say anything in response. She looked at the half eaten food and felt bad. He had been enjoying the meal until she complained about his use of her fork instead of his. She should have pretended not to have noticed.

And so presently, she was preparing the native food he loved so much as a peace offering. She had just turned off the gas when she heard the front door open and close once more. She hurried to meet him.

‘Welcome back,’ she told him.

‘Thanks,’ he replied, walking past her.

‘Aren’t you forgetting something,’ she asked softly, a smile on her face.

‘What?’ he snapped as he paused. ‘I am not in the mood for one of your nagging sessions. Whatever it is you think I have done, I suggest you pretend I already apologised, and move on.’

He began to walk away once more.

Don’t nag, Soki. Don’t nag, she advised herself.

He shrugged off his suit as he moved, loosening his tie. He paused when she called his name, without turning. ‘I’ve told you that I’m not in the mood.’

‘I just wanted to take my kiss,’ she told him covering the distance between them. She placed a light kiss on his lips and then moved back.

He looked at her surprised.

‘I need to have a bath,’ he told her.

‘I left the heater on for you.’

‘Thanks, I guess,’ he looked at her surprised.

She followed him into their bedroom, asking, ‘how was your day?’

‘Great,’ he replied, dropping his suit and tie on a chair, before unbuttoning his shirt.

‘My day was okay,’ she told him conversationally.

‘Hmmm,’ was his only response.

‘I went to school today,’ she continued. When he said nothing, heading for the bathroom, she added, ‘don’t you want to know how it went?’

‘I’m sure you’ll tell me about it irrespective of whatever answer I give to you.’

As she began to talk, he shut the door behind him, and she soon heard the shower running. If he wanted to annoy her, he was doing a very good job of it but she wasn’t going to complain. She took his clothes to the closet although she knew he would have done that himself once he was done with his bath. She went to the kitchen where she dished out his food and took the tray to the bedroom.

Dressed in a black sleeveless t-shirt and matching joggers, he settled down to eat his dinner. She watched him as he took even a second helping.

‘Are you all right?’ she finally asked when he was done.

Why do you ask?’ he asked as he drank partly from the glass cup.

‘You’re giving me the silent treatment.’

He said nothing. He rose to take the tray to the kitchen but she took it from him, saying she would wash up. He thanked her and pulled on a pair of socks before pushing his long feet into black and white sneakers. She had just loaded the dishes into the dishwasher when he walked into the kitchen with the glass cup and headed for the water dispenser. He filled the glass with cold water and quickly gulped it down. Soki walked up behind him and encircled his waist. He tensed.

‘Did I do anything wrong?’ she asked him.

‘No,’ was his monosyllabic response.

‘Then why won’t you talk to me?’

He dropped the glass and placing both hands against hers, he extricated himself from her embrace.

I’m not in the mood,’ he informed her. ‘I’ll be taking a stroll now. Please don’t wait up for me.’

‘Can I join you?’ she asked.

‘I don’t need company.’

‘Now you are…’

‘And I don’t need to be nagged.’

‘I wasn’t about to,’ she assured him.

‘I don’t feel like having a tete a tete with you right now, okay?’

He bit back an expletive when she blocked his path.

‘It wouldn’t be bad if we strolled together for a change.’

‘Stand aside babe.’

‘It would be fun, D. D,’ she assured him.

He paused and looked at her: ‘We have been married for a few months now and all of a sudden you want to hang out with me. What gives?’

She drew back. ‘I don’t understand what you’re talking about.’

‘Don’t you? You’re suddenly so attentive. You welcome me with a kiss, leave the heater on for me, clean up after me and prepare a very sumptuous meal. Like that isn’t enough you want to stroll out with me like we’re one perfect couple. Forgive me if I suspect foul play.’

‘I have done nothing a wife wouldn’t do.’

‘Not this particular wife. You want something, don’t you? You made another alteration to the house, didn’t you?’

‘No, I did not.’

‘If you didn’t, then you probably have been extravagant in your spending and you need more money to cover the deficit in your account. All right, how much do you want?’

‘I’m not going to stand here and listen to this.’

She made to walk away and he grabbed her wrist, halting her movement.

‘How much did you intend to get from me?’

‘I do not…’

‘You will not be this thoughtful unless you want something. Now spit it out before I change my mind.’

She tried to free her wrist but his grip was strong.

I don’t need your money.’

‘Don’t you?’

‘I don’t. I’m not a gold digger after your money. I was nice simply because I wanted to and not because I wanted to extort money from you.’

Dienye looked at her for a full minute without a word and then he turned and left the kitchen. Soki heard the front door open and close once more.

Soki was still awake when he returned. He walked into the bigger sitting room and turned on the telly. He paused when he saw her. She rose to her feet.

‘I’m not in the mood,’ he told her to forestall any trouble he felt she might begin.

‘I didn’t say anything.’

‘You didn’t have to.’

He sat on the three person sofa and flicked through the channels. She sat next to him.

‘We need to talk, D.D,’ she told him quietly.

‘And like I told you before, I am not in the mood.’

She gave an exasperated sigh.

‘You still haven’t told me how much you need,’ he reminded her out of nowhere.

‘You give me enough allowances, Dienye. Why would I ask for more?’ When he said nothing, she continued. ‘I went to school today.’

‘You told me earlier.’

‘And all my results are intact. They would be releasing the final results in three weeks.’

‘I see,’ he said, disinterested, his attention on the news headlines.

‘Is that all you can say?’ she queried.

‘What else do you want me to say?’ he demanded, obviously irritated.

‘Exhibiting a little interest would have been enough.’

‘I heard you loud and clear. You went to school, your results are intact and the faculty will be releasing your final results in three weeks’ time. Or did I miss any part of the conversation?’

‘No. But it wouldn’t have cost anything to say ‘Best of luck, babe.’’

He turned to look at her.

‘Luck has nothing to do with it. Your results are intact, meaning that all your papers have been marked and assessed so there’s nothing you can do at this point other than wait for the results to be officially published.’

She glared at him. ‘Why are you being so mean to me?’

Dienye gave an exasperated sigh. ‘Do you mind? I am trying to listen to the news.’

‘In other words, I’m being a nuisance!’

‘Yes,’ he said without mincing words. ‘Now off with you or just sit quietly and listen to the news.’

‘You really are-’

‘Don’t nag, Soki,’ he warned her. ‘Don’t you dare nag.’

She parted her lips, a stubborn expression on her face, and then she thought better of it. She rose to her feet and stormed to the door but rather than leave, she just stood there saying nothing. He ignored her for some time but when he couldn’t anymore, he ground out: ‘Damn it Soki, you are distracting me. Please take yourself elsewhere.’

‘And I won’t be dismissed like a recalcitrant child.’

‘That does it.’

She held her ground as he advanced toward her. He stood before her, both palms pressed against the door on each side of her.

‘I’m not afraid of you,’ she told him. ‘I’m a lawyer now.’

‘A law graduate without the requisite degree,’ he corrected. ‘You have so much to learn about respecting one’s private space.’

‘You’re the one who’s quick to lose his temper, not me. It’s not my fault that I’m not your precious Nengi.’

‘I have had enough of your attitude. If a man wants his space, give him his space. You gain nothing by encroaching on it. I’m sure your mother taught you that. I hate it when you nag and it is a most unattractive trait. I have told you that several times.’

‘There would be no need for my nagging if you were nicer to me just like you were before we got married. I am not Nengi and I do not strive to be…’

‘You should try to be more like her,’ he cut her short. ‘She was thoughtful and considerate and she knew how to get what she wanted from me. She timed the perfect moment and never had to result to nagging. She understood that when a man said he wasn’t in the mood, he wasn’t in the mood. But you, on the other hand, seem to derive pleasure in getting me so worked up so you can take up the ‘persecuted wife’ stance.

‘It’s not my fault that you’re so tetchy.’

‘I wasn’t tetchy before we got married, that should tell you something. I married you Soki because I was attracted to you but there are times you make me wish I had just given you the entire sum and saved myself the trouble of having to get upset every now and then. You’re 21 and yet you act like an immature and spoilt child. You weren’t anything like this in the years I knew you, even at 19! Then again, it just shows how well I knew you back then.’

‘I don’t like what you’re saying to me.’

‘That’s your problem not mine,’ he told her.

And before she could argue, she found herself lifted to his shoulder fireman style and he was walking out of the sitting room with her. She weighed over 80kg and he carried her as though she weighed nothing less than 10kg, she thought. He gently deposited her on their bed and warned her to stay there. And then he left the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Soki stared at the door for some time and then turned to the side, backing the door, seething but unable to do anything about it.

*******

‘You had no reason to nag, dear,’ Ezinne told her daughter, when she was done with her tale.

‘Mummy! Didn’t you hear anything I said?’

‘I heard the full story my dear and believe me, you had no reason to nag. There were a thousand and one ways that evening would have ended and all of them good.’

Soki sighed deeply.

‘It was never my intention to quarrel with him. I only did what a wife would do, welcome her husband home and ensure that his meals were ready. I asked him about his day and he was barely vocal about it but I don’t think he was upset because of something that happened at work. All he kept on saying was that he wasn’t in the mood. Now I understand that there are friendships destined to be just that: mere friendships. Besides being intimate as husband and wife, Dienye and I were a whole lot closer until we got married.’

Ezinne took her daughter’s hand in hers.

‘You and Dienye went into this marriage for the wrong reasons. Neither of you were emotionally set for it, but the deed has been done and the two of you need to work on building a relationship as a couple because once the children start coming it might be too late to salvage your relationship. By then your focus will tilt more in the direction of the children, not intentionally, but because of their age and the natural need to protect. He’s still your friend. Let him know your grievances but look for the perfect time and please don’t nag. It has never and would never help your case. Take your dad and I for instance. Your father doesn’t take me or my opinion for granted. If I’m hurt I let him know. If there’s anything I don’t like I let him know about it but before I do so, I ensure that the timing is right. Does that make me weak as a woman? No it makes me strong to know what buttons to push and most importantly WHEN to push those buttons to get the best result. That’s what you should aim for. The easiest way to a man is through his wife, but you need to work towards being that kind of wife. Every man is different. What works for Man A might work for Man B. So you need to understand your husband and I’m sure you’ll get the best out of your marriage. Secondly, make his parents and his grandmother, the one you told me was his favourite relative, your closest allies. I’m your mother but your best allies should come from his own family. That worked perfectly for me.’

And Soki had noticed how quick her paternal grandparents, God bless their souls, had been quick to take her mother’s side when Soki was younger. A stranger would think they were Ezinne’s parents.

‘Are you saying I have to be the one to make all the sacrifices?’

‘Of course not. You should only know when to pick your fights. If a man disrespects you then you let him know he can’t do that and get away with it. But from all you’ve told me, he hasn’t disrespected you.’

No he hadn’t. He could be really annoying though, Soki thought.

*******

Soki drove home from her parents’ home so she could have dinner fixed before Dienye returned. After a plate of pounded yam and ofe oha from her mother’s kitchen, she was more than belly-full. Dienye called again, this time to say he would stop at a former classmate’s place on his way from work and she should not wait for him.

But she did wait up for him. He returned around 10pm and she laid curled up on the sofa watching a movie that had her dozing off every now and then. But she felt too lazy to do something as simple as pick up the remote control and change the station. When she heard him turning his key on the lock of the front door, she hurried to meet him, rubbing the back of her palm of her tired eyes.

‘Welcome back darling,’ she told him.

‘Thanks babe,’ he responded as he locked the doors behind him.

‘How was your day?’

‘It went well.’

When he turned from the door, she lifted herself on tip toes to kiss him, reaching at the same time to retrieve his brief case.

‘I thought I asked you not to wait up.’

‘I felt like it,’ she replied. ‘I’ll put your dinner in the microwave.’

‘I can do that myself, thanks.’

‘I’d like to do it. I haven’t had supper myself.’

‘Let me guess, you were waiting for my return.’

‘Of course, I love eating with you. You should know that by now,’ she added with a smile.

It didn’t coerce the smile she had been expecting. What was wrong? She took his briefcase to the bedroom and headed for the kitchen where she put the night’s meal in the microwave. By the time she returned to the bedroom with a tray of food, Dienye had taken a shower and was dressed in only a pair of shorts.

She turned on the TV and flicked the channels until she settled for CNN. They ate in silence. However, when they were turned in for the night, she asked Dienye if he’d had issues at work and his response was in the negative. ‘Business has never been better.’

‘That’s good. I hope no one upset you though.’

‘No one. Why do you ask?’

‘Your countenance.’

‘I left for home in high spirits.’

She looked at him as he lay on his back, one hand flung over his face. The interpretation of his words couldn’t be mistaken even by a retard.

‘I called you several times today,’ she said, ‘but you weren’t picking. I figured you had so much work to do.’

‘Yes, I was very busy.’

‘Do you need a massage?’ she asked.

He lifted his hand off his face for a second to look at her then returned to his former position.

‘No, thanks.’

‘I don’t have much experience but I’m sure I can come up with something to loosen your muscles,’ she laughed, sitting up on the bed.

‘I’m sure you can. But I don’t need a massage.’

She looked at him. She wasn’t going to nag.

‘Okay. I needed to talk to you though, that’s why I kept calling.’

‘You knew where to find me.’

‘Yes I did, but I didn’t want to disturb you at work. Remember, the last time I brought you lunch during working hours. You were in this long meeting and I ended up not seeing you.’

He hadn’t forgotten that. He’d had to make it up to her later that evening when he finally got home.

‘I called because I was at school today.’

‘You have been going to school almost every day, babe,’ he reminded her.

‘Yes, but this time, my results were released.’

‘Congratulations babe. I have no doubt that you excelled. My ‘first class’ wife,’ He gave her an absent minded kiss. ‘We’ll talk in the morning.’

‘D…’

‘Goodnight babe.’

Soki looked angrily at her husband especially when he turned off the bedside lamp, plunging the room in darkness. He turned to his side, backing her.

‘Good night,’ she told him, dragging the comforter to herself. But it would have had a satisfactory effect if he actually needed the comforter.

My ‘first class’ wife indeed, she thought. Like bagging a first class was so common!

*******

Dienye stayed home the following morning, working in his study. And he was clearly not happy when Soki came in there.

‘What do you want?’ he enquired.

‘I’m on my way to school.’

‘Okay. You need money to fuel your car?’

‘No. I have a full tank,’ she responded.

When she remained standing, he asked, ‘What is it?’

‘I want us to fill my law school form together,’ she told him.’

He arched an eyebrow. ‘You can’t fill it yourself?’

‘I can. It’s just that…’

‘You have an internship programme with B.B’s firm. He’s the lawyer, you should talk to him.’

‘This has nothing to do with being a lawyer, D. D. The least you can do is look through it.’

He gave an exasperated sigh. ‘I guess I don’t have a choice since you have already distracted me and disrupted my work. Bring it over.’

Whoever said patience was a virtue should be given the award for uncommon wisdom. She walked across the table to his swivel arm chair. She dropped the form in front of him and turned it to the relevant page, leaning so close he couldn’t help but be aware of her and not just the scent of her perfume.

‘What do you want me to do?’ he asked.

‘I am expected to fill in the 4 campuses in order of priority,’ she explained.

‘Then you clearly don’t need my help.’

‘I’m thinking of making Enugu my first choice so that I can come home every weekend like I did in school.’

‘What purpose would that serve?’

‘I’m a married woman.’

‘Of course you are. After all, you’re talking to your husband.’

He could easily have added ‘duh’ after ‘husband’, she thought.

‘And you think if you spend two or three months away you’ll come back to meet a replacement?’

‘I trust you completely,’ she told him. And she did. If he could stay celibate for 4 years with all the women flocking around him, a few weeks away from her wouldn’t make a difference. ‘I want to choose Enugu campus because I want to be close to home. As your wife I should be home more often.’

He lifted a well arched eyebrow. ‘Don’t do anything on my account. I can take good care of myself.’

‘I’m sure you can. But…’

‘If you didn’t have to consider me, what would be your preference?’

‘D.D…’

‘What would be your preference if you were still single?’

‘Lagos, Abuja, Enugu and Kano.’

‘There, we have your answer.’

‘But I-’

‘Don’t argue with me, babe. I wouldn’t want you to go to a campus you don’t really want to go to just to please me or because I chose it for you. I have relatives in Abuja, a very close cousin in Lagos and friends in Enugu. Kano is a keg of gun powder waiting to explode. Fill in the campuses exactly the way you want it and submit your form.’

‘You sound like you would prefer it if I went really far,’ she told him, pouting.

He laughed, although she doubted if it came from his heart.

‘Don’t be ridiculous, babe. You’re my wife. I have no reason to wish you away.’

‘That’s what it feels like.’

‘Well, you’re wrong. I’ll miss having you around but you have to complete your education irrespective of what I feel or think. If that’s all, I really need to get back to what I’m doing.’

Dismissed, she left the study, barely giving in to the urge to slam the door shut.

To be continued

 

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